Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below gives information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US, 1960-2020

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The graph explains the jobs in US in different sectors.First of all ,we would talk about the manufacturer.In the year 1960,it was about 15 millions then it rose to 20 millions in 1980.But in the year 2000 ,it dropped to almost 5 millions and reached 15 millions again and then contined to decline to almost 10.2 million till the year 2020.

Talking about agricultural sector,it was about 5 million in the year 1960 .It then fell to 0.5 million in 1980 and then remained almost constant till the year 2020.

The sector of Health care was good in this regard.It was about 0.5 million in the year 1960 but it continued to rise upto 2020.

Retailing sector showed fluctuations during the period.Starting from 5 millions in 1960,it rose continuously to 15 millions upto 2000.In the year 2020,this sector was dropped to 10 millions.This is what the graph is telling us.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies all four sectors and gives some broad trends, but several central figures and comparisons are substantially inaccurate, so the graph is only minimally reported. Manufacturing is said to fall to about 5 million in 2000 and then rise to 15 million, whereas it actually declines from 20 million to about 17 million and then to 13 million. Retail is described as dropping to 10 million by 2020, although it rises slightly to around 16 million. Agriculture is reported as falling to 0.5 million and staying level, rather than declining from about 6 million to 2 million. Healthcare’s steady rise is noted, but its endpoint is omitted. Add a clear overview highlighting the contrasting growth and decline, and check each figure against the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving through manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and retail, and time markers such as “In the year 1960” help readers follow individual descriptions. However, the organisation is mostly a list of sectors rather than a clear comparison of the main patterns. There is no distinct overview, and the opening “First of all” followed by “Talking about” and “This is what the graph is telling us” makes the progression feel formulaic. Some links between changes are also unclear, particularly the manufacturing account, where the sequence of falling and rising figures is difficult to reconcile. Group sectors with similar trends and use a concise overview before the details; this would create a more coherent progression and make comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Vocabulary is sufficient to identify the sectors and describe basic movement, using terms such as “rose,” “fell,” “dropped” and “remained almost constant.” However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a formal chart summary. “The sector of Health care was good in this regard” is vague and evaluative rather than descriptive, while “showed fluctuations” does not fit retail’s steady rise followed by only a slight increase. “Manufacturer” refers to a person or company, not the sector, and “millions” is repeatedly used where “million jobs” is needed. Use precise sector names and trend language, such as “manufacturing employment” and “increased steadily,” and avoid conversational commentary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses simple past-tense clauses and some longer sentences joined with “but” and “then,” so the basic sequence is generally understandable. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and recurring errors reduce accuracy. Examples include “The graph explains the jobs in US,” which needs an article and a more suitable construction, and “In the year 2020, this sector was dropped,” where the passive form is incorrect for a trend. There are also inconsistent number forms in “15 millions” and “5 millions,” and punctuation spacing is often faulty, as in “sectors.First” and “1960,it.” Practise accurate active trend sentences and vary them with comparisons, while checking articles, plurals, verb forms and sentence punctuation.

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